Malicious Plan

In the blink of an eye, another five days passed.

These past few days, the atmosphere in Lin'an City had grown increasingly oppressive, as though a vast bank of dark clouds hung over the city.

Yet Lin'an City's stifling atmosphere had no effect on Bi Changsheng. Once his body had fully recovered, he resumed Life-Spending Cultivation. In between, he practiced swordsmanship, studied medical texts, and drank tea—a life of utter ease.

Lin'an City County Office, "So many days have passed, yet there is still no news. Last time I told you to find something, you found nothing. This time I told you to find a few people, and you still can't find them."

"What use do I have for any of you?"

Seated in the seat of honor within the County Office, Chen Pengfei spoke coldly to Bai Yingfei and the others below. Though he knew that some matters were simply too difficult, he had always cared only about results.

The reason the Yellow Heaven Cult was called a demonic cult by the world was because its members acted ruthlessly and without restraint.

At this moment, apart from Chen Pengfei, only Bai Yingfei and his subordinate Ning Siyuan, as well as Zhao Honglang and Sun Chengde, remained in the County Office. Bai Yingfei's other two Inner Strength Realm subordinates, Lou Lanxin and Yu Hong, had already been killed by Divine Fist Sect disciples in the underground palace.

The remaining four all bore injuries to varying degrees. Zhao Honglang, in particular, had had one arm severed by a Divine Fist Sect disciple.

"Forgive us, Elder. We beg you to give us a little more time. We will surely find those three Divine Fist Sect disciples."

Hearing Chen Pengfei's icy tone, everyone below hurriedly dropped to their knees and pleaded for mercy.

"I may give you time, but the Divine Fist Sect will not."

The longer time passed, the greater the pressure in Chen Pengfei's heart became. The first group sent by the Divine Fist Sect had already fallen in Lin'an City many days ago.

If the Divine Fist Sect went too long without hearing from those disciples, they would certainly realize something was wrong and send people to investigate. With Ge Wenkang as a precedent, the people sent next time would surely possess the strength to settle heaven and earth in one stroke.

Thus, with every passing day, the pressure in Chen Pengfei's heart increased severalfold.

Looking at the people kneeling below, Chen Pengfei made up his mind.

"Enough. Get up."

"I no longer place any hope in you. Since they refuse to come out, I'll force them out."

"Pass down my order. At noon tomorrow, gather everyone in the city outside the marketplace. Post notices throughout the city, telling those three Divine Fist Sect disciples that they must appear of their own accord at noon and hand over the underground palace inheritance."

"Otherwise, every half quarter-hour, we will kill one hundred commoners, until every last person in the city has been slaughtered."

With a hardening of his heart, Chen Pengfei voiced the decision he had just made.

"Elder, isn't this going too far?"

Bai Yingfei, who had just risen to his feet, was startled by Chen Pengfei's plan. Though the Yellow Heaven Cult acted without restraint, they had not yet reached such frenzied depths as slaughtering an entire city.

Otherwise, the Yellow Heaven Cult would have long since aroused public outrage and been attacked by the whole realm.

"Do you think we still have a way out?"

Of course Chen Pengfei understood what Bai Yingfei meant. That was also why he had only now made up his mind. But from the moment he killed the Divine Fist Sect's True Qi Realm elder, there had been no way back. Only by obtaining the Condensing Gang Pill, successfully breaking through to the Condensing Gang Realm, and displaying his worth could he survive beneath the Yellow Heaven Cult's protection.

"Don't those brutes from the Divine Fist Sect usually have a reputation for being upright and bold? Would they really stand by and watch us slaughter everyone in the city?"

"Do as I said."

In truth, Chen Pengfei was gambling as well—gambling that the three Divine Fist Sect disciples would care about the lives of the city's commoners and reveal themselves willingly.

"Yes, Elder."

Seeing that Chen Pengfei's mind was made up, Bai Yingfei and the others could only follow him down this dark road to the bitter end.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned residence somewhere in Lin'an City, the Divine Fist Sect's last three remaining people in the city finally reunited here after being scattered for several days, guided by the sect's secret markings.

"Wonderful... Senior Brother, Junior Brother, you're both all right."

The instant she saw the other two, Jiang Ziyue burst into tears of joy. These past few days, she had been constantly anxious and afraid, yet with no one but herself to rely on, she could only grit her teeth and endure.

"Don't cry. It's enough that we're all safe."

Seeing Jiang Ziyue weeping, Fu Ziping hurried forward to wipe away her tears and comfort her. He also understood that Jiang Ziyue had originally been a young lady of privilege; for her to hold on alone through these past few days had been far from easy.

"Senior Sister, things will get better."

Besides Fu Ziping and Jiang Ziyue, the Divine Fist Sect's remaining three included their usually quiet and taciturn junior brother, Duan Ziming. Even he unusually stepped forward to comfort her.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't acted so impulsively, perhaps Elder Ge and the other senior brothers and sisters wouldn't have come to harm."

Once the joy of reunion faded, Jiang Ziyue began blaming herself again.

"This isn't your fault. None of us expected that the Yellow Heaven Cult had hidden a late-stage True Qi Realm expert within Lin'an City."

"Even without the matter of the underground palace, once we made our move, the result would have been the same. It might even have led to our entire force being wiped out."

"The fact that the three of us are still alive is something we should be grateful for."

Hearing Jiang Ziyue's words, Fu Ziping knew she had fallen into a dead end and spoke to guide her out of it.

"Really?"

Jiang Ziyue vaguely understood the reasoning in her heart as well.

"Of course it's true."

"Senior Brother is right."

Even Duan Ziming, who was somewhat younger than Jiang Ziyue, understood that the root of it all was simply that the Yellow Heaven Cult was stronger. And now was not the time to dwell on the past—they should look to the present and the future.

"What should we do next?"

"Senior Brother, what should we do next?"

After the two met up with Fu Ziping, it was as though they had found their backbone. Both of them opened their mouths to ask Fu Ziping about their plans going forward.

"With our strength, we were already unable to break through Lin'an City's blockade and escape the city."

"Now that we're all injured, it's even more impossible."

Fu Ziping slowly laid out the current situation for the two of them.

"Are we really just going to sit here and wait for death?"

Jiang Ziyue asked anxiously, worry written across her face.

"Don't panic. Let me finish."

"We've been trapped in Lin'an City for some time now. The sect will surely notice that something is wrong soon and send people to investigate."

"My injuries have recovered to around seventy percent of my peak condition. Within Lin'an City, aside from that late-stage True Qi Realm expert, no one else should be a match for me."

"All we need to do now is keep hiding in the city and hold out until the sect's reinforcements arrive."

Fu Ziping explained his plan to the two of them in detail.

"Alright, then we'll listen to Senior Brother. Once the sect's reinforcements arrive, I'll make sure that old thief dies without a grave, avenging Elder Ge and the other senior brothers and junior brothers."

After hearing Fu Ziping's plan, Jiang Ziyue's eyes gleamed with murderous light as she gritted her teeth.

After everything she had gone through, Jiang Ziyue had matured greatly. Yet the price of that maturity had been far too brutal.

Beside them, Duan Ziyang merely nodded, showing his support for Fu Ziping's decision.

At that moment, the three of them did not know that a vicious scheme was about to sweep toward them.